


The Boxcar Children and Watch's Surprise

by bookchan



Category: The Boxcar Children - Gertrude Chandler Warner
Genre: Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-21
Updated: 2013-09-21
Packaged: 2017-12-27 06:20:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/975461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bookchan/pseuds/bookchan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Watch wants his family to be safe and Benny is curious.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Boxcar Children and Watch's Surprise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spoke](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spoke/gifts).



> I'd like to thank silverflight for being willing to beta this at the last min.

**Watch**

Watch looked mournfully out the screen door as his family was getting into their station wagon. They were leaving him behind once more as they headed off on another trip. He knew he was just getting too old to go gallivanting off into the unknown with them, but he missed their adventures. Now he was stuck back at home waiting with Grandfather for Jessie and her siblings to return.

Somehow they always getting into trouble on these trips and he worried about how well they could take care of themselves without him there to guard them. Grandfather worried too and whenever something happened as it always seemed to, they would sit by the radio and phone until they received word that their family was safe once again.

Still, while his age and sore hip prevented him from following them on their adventures, there had to be something he could do to help keep them safe. Jessie took care of him way back when and since he couldn't take care of her anymore, Watch decided that he was going to find someone that could.

**Benny**

After the Alden family returned from their latest adventure; visiting the colleges that Jessie was interested in and solving the mystery of the missing college admission letter, Benny noticed something strange. Watch was leaving to go out more often and wanting back in later and later. After mentioning it to Jessie, he decided to follow Watch the next time the dog left the yard without one of them with him. Benny kept watch on Watch from the tree house next door using the Beach's telescope.

Benny wasn't up in the tree house for long. Later that afternoon after Watch had been let outside, Benny spotted him crawling under the fence. He was escaping through a hole that'd been hidden by a large bush. Benny hurriedly climbed down from the tree house and headed in the direction he'd seen Watch go.

  
Benny made a fair amount of noise trying to follow Watch, but Watch didn't seem to notice as he headed straight for his goal: the Old Farm. There Benny observed him smelling around until he found the scent he was looking for and once he found it, Watch followed it to a tree behind the barn. Being careful to stay downwind, Benny watched Watch with his surprise for a while before running back home.

  
"This is too neat! I can't wait to show Violet, Jessie and Henry what I've found," Benny thought.

**Violet**

Just as Violet finished her newest painting of the Alden Home, she noticed Benny running up the road to the house from the direction of the Old Farm. Curious about why he was running and wanting to make sure that it wasn't anything serious, she quickly set aside her brushes and hurried over to join him before he reached the house.  
"Benny, is everything okay?" Violet asked him as she quickly looked him over for any injuries.

  
"I'm fine, no one's hurt, but I followed Watch and found out what he's been hiding!" Benny said as Violet followed him into their home. "We need to find Henry and Jessie and then I can show you where Watch has been disappearing to and what he's been doing when he disappears. It's great!"

  
"Well, we might have to wait a bit, Benny. Henry just left to pick something up at the store for Grandfather and Jessie's busy in the kitchen helping Mrs. McGregor with something," Violet said as she guided Benny to the kitchen. "If you're lucky, while we wait for Henry, Jessie might allow you to help in the kitchen while I finish cleaning up my painting area."

  
"Since Henry definitely has to be there with us, I guess we can wait. Hopefully Watch won't have returned before he gets home," Benny said dejectedly before perking up. "Do you think Jessie's making apple pie again? I did see apples in the kitchen this morning before Mrs. McGregor shooed me out."

  
Violet laughed as Benny disappeared into the warm kitchen and headed back outside. She'd need to warn Henry if she saw him before Benny did, because she had a feeling they'd be heading straight back out once he got back.

**Henry**

Henry drove back from Furman's Department Store content. The store had had what Grandfather needed and he'd even had time to pick up a surprise for his siblings before the store closed. He hoped they would enjoy it. He was starting to park when he noticed Violet standing on the sidewalk waiting for him. Henry carefully finished parking the car and hurried over to where she was.

"Did something happen?" Henry asked.

  
"No," Violet replied quietly. "I just wanted to warn you that Benny found out what Watch has been up to. He was waiting till you got back before he'd show us and he's a bit excited."

  
"Well in that case," Henry said with a laugh, "I better hide my surprise in Grandfather's stuff so that Benny doesn't notice it right away. I wouldn't want to distract him and then accidentally deny him the opportunity for another adventure. Don't sneak a look either, Violet, it should be a surprise for all of you."

  
Violet spun around and with her back to Henry, said "Go on and hide it. I can wait till after dinner to find out what it is, but don’t take too long putting it away or Benny will find out that you've got a surprise too."

  
Violet then headed in, while Henry quickly arranged the game box to be covered by the items he'd picked up for Grandfather and went inside to deliver them.

**Jessie**

Jessie had had a busy afternoon in the kitchen with Mrs. McGregor preparing food for the school social when Benny burst into the kitchen excitedly rambling about Watch, pies and surprises.

Jessie laughed; Benny always did have a bit of a one-track mind. "No Benny, we're not making apple pies. I have to bring the dessert for my class’s social at school tomorrow so we're making individual apple cobblers. Now what's this about Watch? Did he get hurt?" she asked worriedly, suddenly picturing her life without his comfortable presence at the end of her bed.

  
"No, Watch is fine," Benny quickly said, reassuring Jessie. "He does have a surprise for us though. I can't wait till you see it. You're going to be so excited. But," he added with a pout, "We have to wait till Henry gets back because it won't be a proper adventure if we're not all together."

  
"True," Jessie agreed. Glancing at the kitchen clock, she added, "He's not going to be back for at least another twenty minutes, so while you're waiting you can help us fill these crusts with the cobbler and if we finish before Henry gets back, you can have one of the ones that have already been cooked."

  
The time passed quickly and by the time the car could be heard in the distance, Benny had finished eating his cobbler and was helping Jessie and Mrs. McGregor clean up the kitchen. Before he could rush out and surprise Henry, Jessie stopped him.

  
"Benny, wait till he finishes putting away Grandfather's packages and then we'll go. I'm sure Violet's told him what's going on, so why don't you go grab everyone's jackets instead. It is getting a bit chilly in the afternoons now. "

  
By the time Benny had finished gathering everyone's jackets, Violet, Jessie and Henry were waiting at the door for him to lead the way. They were all curious about what Benny had discovered.

 

**Watch**

Watch was feeling pretty satisfied with himself. He'd spent a month finding the right dog to take his place on his family's adventures. The Pomeranian had been too small, even if he'd been smart enough. The golden retriever had been big enough to protect the Aldens, but she'd been a bit too slow and never would have been able to keep up with them. Just when he'd been about to give up hope, a new dog had started hiding out at the Old Farm.

It had taken a bit of work to get her warmed up to the idea, but last week she'd agreed to learn a few things and then once she was ready, he'd planned on introducing her to the Aldens. Leave it to Benny to ruin that plan. For all he lived with the family for years, he kept underestimating the boy's enthusiasm.

  
That was why he was still out here working with her now; he'd somehow missed Benny following him out to the Old Farm. He'd definitely noticed the sounds Benny had made upon discovering who he was meeting out here though and knowing Benny he'd rushed off to tell his siblings. From the sounds coming from the street, Benny had finally successfully rounded them up and they were almost here.

  
"They're coming. Be prepared, Poppy," Watch barked.

 

**Epilogue: Playing Clue with Poppy and Watch**

It was a crisp November evening, the four Alden children and two dogs were gathered around a board laid out on the den floor. Violet rolled the die, moved her piece to enter the room and said, "It was Colonel Mustard in the Billiard room and he used a rope to murder our host."

As Henry checked his cards to see if he'd be able to disprove her suggestion, Poppy poked her head over his leg to do her own investigating.  
"You're right, Poppy. That's the card I have to show Violet." Henry said while giving Poppy a good head scratch.

  
"Violet, this card, as Poppy knows, disproves your accusation. Better luck next time." Henry added as he grabbed the dice.

  
While Henry moved to take his turn, Benny and Jessie were having their own quiet conversation.

  
"See, we just need to train Poppy to recognize the cards and then she could pass the information on to us! Mike told me about a story he read where a cat could do that and if a cat could, so could Poppy or Watch. Though Watch would probably only tell you," Benny whispered to Jessie and glanced at Watch curled up next to her.

  
Watch twitched his ear at his name, but since they weren't talking to him he didn't pay any more attention to their conversation.

  
"Introducing Poppy to the Aldens worked out great." Watch thought as he kept Jessie's feet warm. "I may not be able to take care of them myself when they leave on one of their adventures now, but Poppy will do a good job guarding them."

  
Watch went back to sleep feeling content, knowing that he'd done everything he could to keep his family safe.


End file.
